Universal handle for beverage cup or container

ABSTRACT

A universal handle for beverage cups or containers is provided. The universal handle can be easily stacked in vertical alignment for storage or display, and can also be stacked out of vertical alignment to allow an end user to carry multiple beverage cups or containers in one hand. Embodiments of the universal handle include surfaces suitable for ornamentation, decoration, branding, marketing, or advertising.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is generally directed toward devices utilized to support beverage cups or containers.

BACKGROUND

Standard beverage cups or containers, such as those that are commonly sold as containment for beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, water, and fruit juices, have a number of disadvantages. Such cups and containers are often made of plastic or Styrofoam, and often have an open top. Most often these cups are intended to be disposable, and are therefore made in a very inexpensive manner, such that the cup or container has weak structural integrity. This weak structural integrity can result in collapse of the cup or container; increased splashing or spilling of the beverage contained therein; and even injury, such as when the contained beverage is hot and spills on the end user, causing scalds or burns.

The present disclosure greatly improves the end user experience and safety when utilizing these structurally weak cups or containers. The disclosure describes a solution to the problem of weak structural cups or containers collapsing or flexing—and the resulting spillage, dropping, and/or potential injury from hot beverages—by providing a rigid structure into which the structurally weak cup or container is inserted and which supports the structurally weak cup or container. The disclosure also addresses the difficulty of carrying multiple beverage cups or containers in one end-user hand by allowing nesting of multiple units of a universal handle into which the cups or containers are inserted. Similarly, the disclosure provides for universal handles that can be nested for storage and/or display. And, the disclosure provides for surfaces on a universal handle to be utilized for advertisement, log placement, branding, and other graphical messages directed to the end user as well as to others who may be exposed to the visual sight lines of the universal handle.

These are not the only advantages of the present disclosure over known removable or disposable cup or container holders. Many such holders utilize an inverted frustoconical support for the cup or container support. Because the walls of cups and containers can be sloped at different angles, such holders are not well adapted to be used on cups or containers sloped at an angle other than the angle of the wall of the inverted frustoconical support. The present disclosure describes a universal beverage cup or container handle, which can be used with cups or containers having walls sloped at varying angles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the appended figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a universal handle for beverage cup or container;

FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a universal handle for beverage cup or container with a beverage cup inserted therein;

FIG. 8 is a collection of views of an embodiment of a universal handle for a beverage cup or container identifying decorative surfaces thereon;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a plurality of units of a universal handle for a beverage cup or container in a nesting configuration suitable for display or storage; and

FIG. 10 is a collection of view of a plurality of units of a universal handle for a beverage cup or container, each supporting a beverage cup, in a nesting configuration suitable for allowing an end user to carry multiple beverage cups or containers in one hand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is with respect to the above-noted challenges that embodiments of the present disclosure were contemplated. In particular, a universal handle for beverage cups or containers is provided that solves the drawbacks associated with known beverage cups or containers.

Various aspects of the present disclosure will be described herein with reference to drawings that are schematic illustrations of a preferred embodiment. It should be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments depicted and described herein.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 through 7, an embodiment of a universal handle for beverage cups or containers is depicted. The embodiment includes a handle 1 comprising a grip 1 a with an approximately vertical orientation that can be held in the hand of an end user, and a support 1 b with an approximately horizontal orientation and an aperture adapted for receiving a cup or beverage container. The support 1 b may be in the shape of a ring, and the aperture therein may be generally circular. A gasket 2 lines the inner perimeter or circumference of the aperture of the support 1 b. A finger grip 3 provides an end user a surface on which to rest a finger and better control the handle 1 to further reduce the potential for or prevent spillage or slip.

In embodiments, the grip 1 a of the handle 1 comprises an extruded structure having a circular or polygonal cross-section. The grip 1 a is preferably of sufficient length to be held comfortably by the intended end users of the particular embodiment of the universal handle, whether adults or children. To facilitate nesting, the grip 1 a is hollow, and is open at least at the upper end. The lower end of the grip 1 a has the same cross sectional shape (i.e. a circle or polygon) as the upper end, but the outer perimeter of the lower end is smaller than the inner perimeter of the upper end. As a result, the lower end of the grip 1 a of a first universal handle may be inserted into the upper end of the grip 1 a of a second universal handle. In preferred embodiments, the grip 1 a is evenly tapered so the grip 1 a of a first universal handle can be inserted into the grip 1 a of a second universal handle until the supports 1 b of the first and second universal handles are in contact or almost in contact. This minimizes the amount of storage space needed when the universal handles are nested in a storage configuration (i.e. in vertical alignment), as depicted in FIG. 9.

Certain embodiments of the universal handle include a grip 1 a having a cross-section in the shape of a circle or an equilateral polygon. Such embodiments allow a plurality of universal handles to be nested during use (i.e. while supporting a beverage cup or container 5), at varying degrees of rotation out of vertical alignment, as depicted in FIG. 10. Grips 1 a with a circular cross-section allow nesting at any angle of rotation, while grips 1 a with an equilateral polygonal cross-section allow nesting only at specific angles. For example, a grip 1 a with an equilateral triangular cross-section will allow nesting of multiple universal handles oriented at 120° angles out of vertical alignment relative to each other.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 7, the grip 1 a and the support 1 b of the handle 1 are integrally molded or fabricated as a single piece, and finger grip 3 is likewise molded or fabricated as a feature of the handle 1. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the handle 1 can be configured in any variety of ways, including with different shapes and different forms, to best serve the marketplace. For example, the size, shape and/or form of an embodiment may be adjusted to better conform to the cup or container supported. In embodiments, the handle 1 may be assembled from two or more separate pieces, or may be a single, integral piece.

The gasket 2 provides a conformable surface for conforming to and gripping the exterior surface or surfaces of a beverage cup or container. In embodiments, the gasket 2 is made from a soft plastic or flexible polymer material. These or other soft and/or flexible materials from which the gasket may be manufactured can provide a non-slip functionality that prevents or reduces the potential for a cup or container to slip out of the handle 1 during use, even if a beverage or other contained fluid spills and wets the gasket 2 and/or the handle 1. The gasket 2 also serves as a conformable surface that can conform to a multitude of shapes, textures, and materials of various commercially available cups and containers. For example, the gasket 2 can conform to beverage cups having walls sloped at various angles.

In embodiments, the finger grip 3 may be integrally molded or fabricated as part of the handle 1. The finger grip 3 may also comprise a flap or tab that extends from the gasket 2 and is integral with or made of the same material as the gasket 2. Alternatively, the finger grip 3 may be formed separately from the handle 1 and the gasket 2, and affixed to the handle 1 by mechanical, adhesive, or other means. Preferably, the finger grip 3 comprises non-slip features, such as ridges or bumps, and/or is formed of a non-slip material.

As shown in FIG. 8, embodiments of a universal handle 1 include various surfaces that can be utilized for ornamentation, decoration, branding, marketing, or advertising. Such surfaces may include a tab or tabs 6 extending from the support 1 b, such as those shown in FIG. 8. For example, brands, logos, messages, advertising, and other customizations may be applied to these surfaces. The shape and form of these surfaces can be customized to accommodate specific brands or logos without detracting from the utility of universal handle.

Embodiments of the universal handle may be fabricated from any suitable material, including but not limited to plastics, polymers, metals, woods, or any other material that can be properly formed into the desired shape and geometry. Such embodiments may be any color, and may be decorated in any manner that does not detract from the utility of the universal handle.

While illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations, except as limited by the prior art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A universal handle, comprising: a ring-shaped support having a substantially vertical axis; a gasket disposed along an inner circumference of the ring-shaped support; a grip extending from the ring-shaped support, the grip having an open upper end and a lower end, the lower end having an outer perimeter smaller than an inner perimeter of the upper end, and a finger grip disposed on the ring-shaped support near the grip.
 2. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped support and the grip are integrally formed of a single material.
 3. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the grip has a plurality of flat surfaces.
 4. The universal handle of claim 1, further comprising tabs extending downwardly from the ring-shaped support.
 5. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein a logo is displayed on a surface of the universal handle.
 6. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the finger grip is integrally formed with the gasket.
 7. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the finger grip comprises ridges.
 8. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the grip is formed of plastic, metal, or wood.
 9. A universal handle, comprising: a support having an aperture therein, the support having a substantially horizontal orientation; a grip connected to the support, the grip having a substantially vertical orientation; a gasket affixed to an inner perimeter of the aperture of the support; and a finger grip positioned on a surface of the support located in between the aperture and the grip.
 10. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the grip is hollow and comprises a lower end and an open upper end.
 11. The universal handle of claim 10, wherein the lower end of the grip is sized to fit into the open upper end of the grip.
 12. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the grip has a hexagonal cross section.
 13. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the grip has a circular cross-section.
 14. The universal handle of claim 9, further comprising a tab extending from the support.
 15. The universal handle of claim 14, wherein at least one of a logo, a brand name, or an advertisement is displayed on the tab.
 16. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the finger grip is integrally formed with the support.
 17. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the finger grip comprises a non-slip material.
 18. A universal handle, comprising: a support ring having a vertically oriented axis; a grip comprising a hollow member oriented substantially parallel to the vertically oriented axis, the grip extending from the support ring, the hollow member having an upper end and a lower end, each with a hexagonal cross-section, the upper end adapted to receive the lower end of an identical hollow member; a ring gasket lining an inner circumference of the support ring; and a finger grip located between the ring gasket and the hollow member, the finger grip having a plurality of ridges.
 19. The universal handle of claim 18, the hollow member further having a substantially constant taper between the upper end and the lower end.
 20. The universal handle of claim 18, wherein a plurality of tabs extend from the support ring, the tabs having a graphic displayed thereon. 